Book Review: The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris

Book Review: The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris

Summary:
This is the story of the rise and fall of the Norse gods, this time told from the famous trickster Loki's point of view.

Review:
Norse mythology has always interested me, and is a pretty big part of the Norwegian heritage. Because of this, I've read a lot about it and this book sadly didn't compare. I think, when you decide to basically retell a story with characters you didn't make, with a storyline you didn't decide and a world you didn't create, you've got your work cut out to make it your own.

I felt like the character of Loki was interesting, but I didn't feel like the author dug deep enough. Nothing really surprised me or brought anything new to the table.

There was, however, a lot of funny moments, and when I started accepting what kind of book this is, an amusing but not original tale, I found it much more enjoyable.






Book Review: The Gospel of Loki by Joanne M. Harris
Title: The Gospel of Loki
Author: Joanne M. Harris
Published: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 302
Rating: 2/5

Book Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Book Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Summary:
Orphan Jane Eyre is a young woman who has suffered a hard childhood, being cast away by her own aunt and having attended a charity school and taught there for a few years. Seeking a wider perspective, she starts working as a governess at Thornfield hall and she finally finds some fulfillment. But the house holds many secrets, and so does it's owner; Mr. Rochester.

Review:
I would give this book 10000/5 any day. Definitely right up my alley, and did not disappoint one bit (which is extraordinary, seeing as it has quite the reputation).

The first thing that struck me was that I didn't find this a hard read to get through, as I often do with classics. It's not so complicated that it's impossible to follow, not all too many characters you have to remember, or too many places.

A delightful surprise was the part of the book that is about Jane's childhood. I thought that was very interesting. I really felt Jane's voice as a narrator was clear and I found it very easy to connect with her. She's quite different from other woman of that age, which I enjoyed. Mr. Rochester is quite insufferable and a little bit crazy, but quite a fascinating character.

I found myself really invested in this story, and I just really loved it. It was entertaining, emotional, mysterious and loveable. The writing is just gorgeous, and it's really quite beautifully constructed.

I would recommend this to anyone who has the time, and if not; make time. It's worth every page.

Book Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Title: Jane Eyre
Author: Charlotte Brontë
Published: 1847
Language: English
Pages: 507
Rating: 5/5

Top 5: Classics I Want To Read

Top 5: Classics I Want To Read
I've really gotten into reading classics lately, and I thought I would show you five classics I really want to read. I always find them to be quite an effort to get through, but it's almost always worth it.

1. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

I have actually read this, but it was when I was around sixteen, and I remember not really understanding that much. So, I want to reread!

2. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

I actually own two copies of this. I really want to read it, although I don't know what it's about.

3. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

I really want to read more gothic fiction, and this has been on my to-read list for as long as I can remember. It's actually quite short too, so it's not a huge thing to get through.

4. Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens

Mostly because I haven't read any Dickens, which is just sad.

5. Dubliners by James Joyce

Because I just bought it, and I've heard it was really controversial when it was published, which is always interesting.

Book Review: Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle

Book Review: Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle

Summary:
A new religion has taken over America, calling itself "The Church of America", and the leader, Pastor Frick, has foretold that a Rapture will come, and six months later, the world will end. Vivian is at a mock Rapture party, not being a Believer... but when she comes home the next day, her parents are gone and there are two holes in the roof.

Wondering if her parents are still alive, Vivian embarks on a journey across the country to find out the truth.

Review:
I enjoyed reading this book. I really liked the religious aspect of it, where the country has been divided into Believers and Non-Believers, and I liked the portraying of how this has put a gap between Vivian and her parents. I also really enjoyed the small excerpts you get from The Book of Frick now and then.

I liked the characters, especially Harp, Vivians best friend, but I didn't fall in love with any of them. I did like that the little love story in the book didn't take too much space though. The middle part of the book felt a little slow, and although the ending was exciting, I didn't really like it.

I think this book is better suited for someone a little bit younger than me, and that's not really something I can blame the book for, but it does affect my rating. As I said, it was an enjoyable read, but for me, it ends there.






Book Review: Vivian Versus the Apocalypse by Katie Coyle
Title: Vivian Versus the Apocalypse
Author: Katie Coyle
Published: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 288
Rating: 3/5

Postcard Box: From the Desk of Jane Austen

Postcard Box: From the Desk of Jane Austen
I found this postcard box in Waterstones in London, and I knew the instant I saw it that I just had to get it. And let me tell you, it was worth every penny, because I am IN LOVE with this.

This is a box with 25 different quotes on different backgrounds, all reproduced 4 times. It's not only quotes from Austens books but also from her personal correspondence, which I think is really cool.

I'm a huge sucker for stationary anyway, but I think these are my favorite ones EVER. Some of them are so beautiful I'm actually thinking of framing some. Either way, I'll use these for birthday gifts and things like that. I think if you wrap a gift with normal brown wrapping paper, this would add the flavor to it and make it really special.

Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Summary:
This is a tale of young love. Eleanor is the new girl in town, quite eccentric and coming from a chaotic home. Park is a boy on the school bus, always wearing black, trying to be invisible.

Slowly, Eleanor and Park get to know each other and fall madly in love.

Review: 
This book is SO CUTE. It's just so adorable, I can't even. SO CUTE!

At the same time, you're waiting for something bad to happen. It's there, looming in the background, some unknown bomb waiting to explode.

You get to read both the viewpoint Eleanor and Park, and it brings something great to this story. It's not repetitive as it can sometimes become when you read the viewpoint of two main characters who interact a lot. I liked how they're very young, and you can tell that they're young by the way they think.

Though this is mostly a very adorable and lovely story, it has a deeper and darker tone to it, especially at the end. I don't think this is a book for young readers, it even says so on the back of the book.

So, if you're an adult and want to read a really sweet love story mixed with some darker things, this is the book for you. Definitely worth reading.

Book Review: Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Title: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 325
Rating: 4/5

Word Cloud Classic: Persuasion

Barnes & Noble Classic: Wuthering Heights

I think this is one of my favorite Word Cloud Classics, it's stunning.

Barnes & Noble Classic: Wuthering Heights

Barnes & Noble Classic: Wuthering Heights

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

This is the first book in The Lunar Chronicles.

Summary:
Set in New Bejing, humans, androids and cyborgs live among each other. Cinder, a cyborg and a mechanic, is regarded a second-class citizen. Times are not peaceful and the world has changed a lot since World War IV. A plague is ravaging Earth, and the Lunar people are waiting to make their move from space.

Cinder is suddenly thrown into the middle of this by having to fix Prince Kai's android, who retains some very important information that will change the future of everything.

Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It was a light read but set in a very interesting universe. I liked that it was set in Bejing and I loved the part with cyborgs and androids, and that cyborgs aren't deemed actual humans, even though they may only have a foot that's mechanic.

I liked how it reminds me of Cinderella and you can see the similarities (she has a horrible step mother, two sisters and so on), but it's not the same. I liked the main character, and I loved Iko the android who provides great comic relief.

What lowers my rating of this book was that it was very predictable. In the first hundred pages I could figure out what was going to happen for the rest of the book. And it wasn't because of the Cinderella story in the background, it was just very, very obvious.

I was really in the mood for this kind of book which definitely helped my impression of it. This is a simple read that is quite entertaining. I am actually really excited to read the next ones in this series, because I've heard they're really good and I love the universe.

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Title: Cinder
Author: Marissa Meyer
Published: 2012
Language: English
Pages: 390
Rating: 3/5


I would recommend this to those who like young adult science fiction books.

Book Review: The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham

Book Review: The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham

Summary:
Bill Masen wakes up in a hospital in London after having eye surgery, finding a completely silent world around him. Taking off his bandages and investigating, he discovers that almost everyone in the world has gone blind.

There are also these plants called Triffids - strange, carnivorous plants that grow to the size of a man, can up its roots and walk around and have a poisonous sting if not trimmed properly. Usually, they're harmless if you keep them on a leash and make sure to remove the poison.

Now that the world has gone blind and is quickly descending into chaos, the walking plants have the upper hand.

Review:
This book was really, really interesting. I loved the eerie but vibrant setting in silent London, and everything that happened there, the slow disintegration of society and humanity, felt very realistic. The blind people trying to find their way around, looking for food, is so horrific and scary when you read it, it sent chills down my spine.

The triffids are perhaps not as big a part of the story as one at first thinks it will be, but they add a creepy and dangerous element to the story.

I really liked the characters in this book as well, I found the protagonist to be a good story teller. The story itself is more fascinating than exciting, and it gives the book a very mature feeling to it. A lot of apocalyptic fiction evolves around young teens and impossible romance, but this has a lot more to it. I really enjoyed that the main character was in his thirties, and not an angsty teenager.

I really liked the way the story progressed and I thought the ending was really good.

I would recommend this to anyone who liked apocalyptic fiction, and I think this would particularly suit an older audience who's looking more mature fiction, because of the way it's written. This is easily one of the best books I've read.

Book Review: The Day of The Triffids by John Wyndham
Title: The Day of The Triffids
Author: John Wyndham
Published: 1951
Language: English
Pages: 233
Rating: 5/5

Top 5: Favorite Books

Top 5: Favorite Books
I have a feeling this is going to be the first of several "favorite" posts I'll write, but here are five of my favorite books!  

1. Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Surprise, surprise! Most readers of my generation have this as their favorite books and I am no exception. I just love the world, the magic, the characters... everything!

I always get really sucked into these books when I read them, and it's such a nice feeling. These are also some of the first books I read in English instead of Norwegian.

2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 

This is a children's book and I have vague memories of reading this when I was a kid and loving it. I forgot about it for a while, and then I reread it a few years ago, and I still love it.

It's a very charming, light read.

There are also soooo many beautiful versions of this book, and I would get them all if I felt I could!

 3. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

This is the first book in the Kingkiller Chronicle, and I love these books (and waiting impatiently for the last one). It's adult high fantasy, and it's so good. I think a lot of people can feel a little ambivalent towards fantasy because there are a lot of crap books out there, but this is the exact opposite.

The world in this book is really, really amazing.

4. A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin

I love these books and I love the TV-series as well. I feel like my life is on hold until the next book is published. This is also adult fantasy, and it's amazing. You need a fair bit of concentration the longer you get into the series, because there are a lot of characters, but it's definitely worth it.

The thing I love most about this series is that the author is NOT AFRAID of killing characters and leaving loose ends. I like it because it's realistic, although I'm also annoyed because I want to know it all. But mostly I love it.

5. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

I love the book and I love the movie. I've always been fascinated by geisha culture, so this is right up my alley. Definitely worth checking out. I saw the movie first with this one, so I had that in mind when I read it, but I really enjoyed it either way.

Book Review: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Book Review: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Summary:
Detective Cormoran Strike is hired by a worried wife to find her husband who has gone missing: the writer Owen Quine. At first, it seems like an easy case, but soon it is revealed that Quine has written a manuscript containing horrific depictions of several important people. If it was to be published, it would be a catastrophe and many wish to silence him.

Then, things get really twisted, and Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin, must unravel the mystery before it's too late.

Review:
This book is very charmingly written. I love the vibrant setting of winter in London. It's very nicely portrayed.

I absolutely love the protagonist, Strike. I never loose sight of what he's like, he's always very clear in my mind, meaning he's written very well. This trait moves through the entire book; the people in it are very clear and fascinating.

The beginning was a tad slow, but I understand why it's written that way. When things really get going, it's very exciting. I never realized who the bad guy was until it was revealed (although I rarely manage to figure these things out), and the ending both surprised and satisfied me.

There is a different quote in the beginning of every chapter; I'm not sure how I feel about that, I don't know how necessary I felt it was to the story.

What can I tell you, in my opinion, Rowling knows how to tell a story. I would recommend this to anyone who's up for a great piece of mystery crime fiction.

Book Review: The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Title: The Silkworm
Author: Robert Galbraith (pseudonym for J. K. Rowling)
Published: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 455
Rating: 5/5

Word Cloud Classic: The Picture of Dorian Grey

Word Cloud Classic: The Picture of Dorian Grey

Another gorgeous Word Cloud Classic; The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde.

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Summary:
Cath loves Simon Snow. She wears the t-shirts, she has the posters, and she writes fanfiction - the best fanfiction, having thousands of readers online. Simon Snow is Cath's life, and she loves it.

This story starts at the time when Cath and her twin sister Wren start college. Here, Cath has to face life with a new, all-over-the-place roommate, new people everywhere, new classes and new situations. And for Cath, there's nothing positive about all this. All she wants to do is write her fanfiction and be left alone.

Review:
I loved this book. I loved the characters, I loved the setting, I love the humor. I loved everything. Easily one of my favorite books, ever.

I really felt connected to Cath, the main character, and I could relate to a lot of her feelings and thoughts. I thought the progression of Caths and Wrens sibling relationship was very interesting and quite realistic. I loved Reagen, I thought she was a very interesting character, and I liked how Caths and Reagens friendship evolved. I also loved Levi (who doesn't).

I thought the book was well-written and I liked the Simon Snow excerpts in between the chapters.

This is a funny, charming and relatable contemporary read that I would highly recommend to everyone.

Book Review: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
Title: Fangirl
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Published: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 438
Rating: 5/5

Bookshelf Tour: Green

Bookshelf Tour: Green
Green is my favorite color and I thought it was time for some green books!

Glassblåseren fra Murano (The Glassblower of Murano) - Marina Fiorato

The Chrysalids - John Wyndham

Insurgent - Veronica Roth

Djevelen og Frøken Prym (The Devil and Miss Prym) - Paulo Coelho

A Pocket Full of Rye - Agatha Christie

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

Summary:
This story is about the Sinclairs, a beautiful and distinguished family, who spend their summers on a private island. I won't reveal much more, because I feel it would take away from the reading experience. Let's just say this story is filled with mystery.

Review:
First, let me say, I had very high expectations when I started reading this. Sadly, I think that may have ruined it a bit for me. I felt like before I even started reading, I expected it to become my favorite book, but it just didn't turn out that way. It was very, very good, just not as great as I had thought it would be.

For the first 100 pages or so, I felt very ambivalent. I had a hard time getting really into the story. However, it certainly got better and better the more I read.

I really love the setting on the island, and I imagined it vividly. I also, once I'd read quite a bit, really liked the characters, and how the facade came tumbling down for a lot of them, and you're exposed to the centre.

I felt like the ending surprised me a lot, but it didn't make that huge of an impact on me. I think I'd built it up in my head to be this extraordinary, completely shocking, twisted ending, and yes, it was surprising, but somehow... I wasn't all that shocked.

I think the writing was beautiful, and I think rereading this book could be quite interesting, as I imagine I missed a lot of clues while reading it for the first time.


I may still sound a little "meh", but it was really, really good! I would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a cool and interesting mystery novel that isn't too hard to read. I especially think it could be a good summer read.

Book Review: We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
Title: We Were Liars
Author: E. Lockhart
Published: 2014
Language: English
Pages: 227
Rating: 3/5

Top 5: Book to Movie Adaptation Wish List

Top 5: Book to Movie Adaptation Wish List
I really like watching movie adaptations of books. Although I usually prefer the book, I like seeing someone else's interpretation of a story I've read and connected to, and see what we imagined different and what we imagined the same.

I have a bunch of books I'd like to see as movies, and here are my top 5.

1. The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

I finished this very recently, and I knew instantly that I'd love to see it as a film. I think it could be a really funny, exciting and adventurous movie with some fantastic characters.

It also has a dragon in it, which is always a plus.

2. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Somebody needs to make this into a movie ASAP!

This is one of my favorite fantasy novels, and I would love to see this universe on the screen. The world building in this novel is very thorough, and the story is very interesting, and I think it could be translated beautifully into a film. If done right, it would be a revelation.

3. Inferno by Dante Aligheri

I have no idea if anyone has ever made a movie about this, but I'd like to see someone make a new spin on it in a modern way. I think a more free adaptation of this text could be really interesting.

4. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

I have seen a movie adaptation of this from 1993, I watched it when I was little and I remember enjoying it. I would like to see a more modern adaptation of this though, I think it could be a very beautiful movie. I imagine beautiful scenery and very appropriate music.

5. Across the Universe by Beth Revis

I bet at some point someone is going to make this into a movie. I hope it happens soon. I have a very clear picture in my head of a lot of things in this story, and I think it would be fun to see it on screen. I also think this would be something a lot of people would like to see, even though they haven't read the book.